Apparatus for applying coatings.



No. 662,910. Patented Dec. 4, I900. c. a. BRITTON.

APPARATUS FUR APPLYING CGATINGS.

(Application filed June 23, 1899. (No Model.) 3 Sheefs- Sheet 1.

I wrrmzssss mun-roam m5 NORRIS Perms cu, PRoTo-Lnuo" WASHINGTON, u. c.

No. 662,9l0. Patented Dec. 4, 1900. c. n. BRITTUN.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING COATINGS.

, (Application filed June 23, 1899.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

mi mnmsvzTcRs co. PHOYO-LITHD. wasumm'ow, n cy 11/662,910. Patented Dec. 4, I900.

- 0. n. BBITTON.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING COATINGS.

(Apizlication filed June 23, 1899.\

(N o much) a Sheets--$heet a.

. wrmsssss mvEnroR W lq/jww MW 'rarns CLARENCE R. BRITTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

APPAATUS FOR APPLYING COATlNGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,910, dated December 4, 1900.

Application filed June 23, 1899. Serial No. 721,628. (No model.)

To all 1071,0771, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CLARENCE R. BRITTON,

of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyah oga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Applying Coatings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of apparatus for coating metal sheets in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the furnace portion. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one form of transfer mechanism for the tinningrolls, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the same.

My invention relates to coating metals, and more particularly to coating metal sheets with a layer of another metal, such as in tinning black-plate, and is designed to provide a new apparatus for such purpose.

To that end it consists in rollers arranged to receive the sheet between them, and at least one of which is formed of or coated with the metal to be applied, and moving the sheet and roller relative to each other during the passage of the sheets, so as to scrape the coating metal upon the sheet; and it further consists in the apparatus as hereinafter more fully described, and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 2 represents an externallyheated chamber of general rectangular form, containing a series of pairs of tinning-rolls 3, which are either formed of tin or provided with an external coating thereof. The bodies of these rolls are provided with shafts 3'; projecting through the sides of the furnace, and the ends of each shaft are provided With cran karms at, which extend in opposite directions at the opposite ends of each shaft and are provided with friction-rollers 5. The rollers 5 are arranged to bear upon stationary inclined plates 6 during the revolution of the shafts, and thus give an endwise movement of the rolls during their rotation. Each rollshaft is provided at one end with a sprocketwheel 7, the sprocket-wheel upon the lower shaft of each pair of rolls being at the opposite end from that of the upper roll, as

shown in Fig. 3. All the sprocket-wheels at each side of the furnace are connected by a.

sprocket-chain 8, which extends in loops, as shown in Fig. 1, over alternate upper and lower rolls. The two chains are similarly arranged, eXcept that the loops of one chain are opposite to those of the other, thus causing the rolls to rotate in the proper direction to feed the sheets through the furnace. The chains also engage a sprocket-Wheel upon the shaft of the lower of a pair of squeezing or wiper rolls 9 at the entrance endof the furnace, and over similar sprocket-wheels upon the lower and the upper shaft, respectively, of two pairs of polishing-rolls 10, one pair being within the furnace at its exit end and the other pair just outside such end. The chains also pass over idle wheels 11 on the upper part of their travel and over idlers 12,

having ordinary tightening devices 13 to regulate the tension of the chains. In front of the entrance end of the furnace is a flux-box 14, through which extend curved guides 15, consisting of bars which direct the sheets downwardly through the bath and thence into the squeezing-rolls. The flux-bath is heated by a suitable furnace 16.

The inu'liie or oven-chamber 2, containing the tinning-rolls, is heated by afurnace 17, the products from which rise through flues 18, around the furnace-chamber and thence pass out through the valved off-take 19.

20 represents guide-funnels to direct the sheets from the squeezing-rolls to the tinningrolls and thence through the polishing-rolls. As the tinning-rolls move simultaneously in opposite directions, the sheets are not moved sidewise but proceed in a straight line.

I have shown in Fig. 4 the conveyor 20' between the last pair of tinning-rolls and the first pair of polishing-rolls and which will be used if these rolls are spaced apart .a greater distance than the length of the. sheets. This arrangement is not necessary, however, and I prefer the arrangement shown in the other figures, where the rolls are spaced apart a less distance than the length of the sheets. From the last pair of polishing-rolls the sheets drop upon an endless carrier 21, which extends over a cooling box 22, having a perforated top and to which an air-blast is supplied to cool the tinned plates. The plates are then deposited upon another carrier 23, by which they are taken to any desired point.

In using the apparatus the furnace-chamber is raised to a temperature slightly below the melting-point of tin. The rolls are then rotated by power received through pulleys 24, and the black plates or sheets are fed through the fiuXing-bath, and thus brought to a temperature suitable for coating. Thence they pass successively through the squeezing-rolls and the tinning-rolls. tween the tinning-rolls the back-and-forth motion of these rolls scrapes the tin from them and applies it to the sheet, and on account of the high temperature and the pressure of the rolls this coating will be thoroughly amalgamated with the sheet. The tinned sheet then passes through the steel polishing-rolls,and the coatingis thus compressed and amalgamated and also given a smooth and polished surface. They are thence carried over the cooling device, completing the operation.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The necessity for the after treatment of the coated metal by the oil-bath and the subsequent cleaning and polishing operations are done away with, thus making the process much more rapid and cheapening it. Moreover, many sheets are spoiled in the cleaning and polishing apparatus formerly used, which will be remedied by my invention. A large output can be produced with a thin coating, whereas in the old process increasing the output and the rapidity of operation necessitated a heavier coating. The apparatus does not need the aid of skilledlabor and the oxidation of the coating metal is reduced.

It is evident that the apparatus may be used with different metals both for the articles to be coated and for the coating metal, that only one side of the sheet may be coated, if desired, by using one roller provided with the coating material and the other of steel, and that many other forms of apparatus may be used than that shown, which is my preferred form for coating black plates.

I claim 1. In coating apparatus, a pair of rollers,

As the sheet passes beat least one of which is provided with the coating metal, the rollers being arranged to receive the sheet or plate between them, means for heating the coating material, and mechanism for moving at least one of the rollers relatively to the sheet to apply the coating by abrasive action; substantially as described.

2. In coating apparatus, a pair of rolls, at least one of which is provided with a coating material, means for heating the coating material to a temperature slightly below its fusing-point, the rollers being arranged to receive the sheet or plate between them, and mechanism for moving at least one of the rollers relative to the sheet, to apply the coating by abrasive action; substantially as described.

8. Apparatus for coating metal articles with metal, comprisinga movable block hav ing a coating of easily-fusible metal, means for heating the coating metal to a temperature slightly below its fnsing-point,and. poweractuated mechanism arranged to move the block in contact with the article to be coated, while under pressure; substantially as described.

4. In coating apparatus, a furnace-chamber containing rolls, at least a part of which are covered with a coating metal, means for rotating the rolls, and mechanism arranged to give the rolls an endwise movement during rotation; substantially as described.

5. In coating apparatus, a fiuXing-bath, tinning-rolls within a furnace-chamber to which the sheets pass from the bath, and

mechanism for moving the rolls endwise during rotation; substantially as described.

6. In coating apparatus, a furnace-chamber containing rotatory rolls, at least a part of which are covered with a coating metal, means for giving the rolls an endwise movement, and a cooling-table to which the sheets pass from the furnace; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CLARENCE R. BRITTON.

l/Vitnesses:

W. D. Pos'r, B. F. WHITMAN. 

